IND v SL 2017: KL Rahul says MS Dhoni will remain a great finisher for India

MS Dhoni's all-round performance aided India's 93 run win over Sri Lanka in 1st T20I.

KL Rahul made 61 on his India T20I team return

Rohit Sharma took a decision to send MS Dhoni at no.4 for India after KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer set up a good platform for the rest of batsmen to launch off.

Now MS Dhoni has been criticized a lot for his recent form in T20I cricket and many cricket experts called for his retirement from the format in order to give someone younger a chance to build his career. However, yesterday, Dhoni quashed all such doubts with a brilliant knock of 39* in 22 balls.

Dhoni even showed glimpses of his old self with him hitting Thisara Perera for a six off the last ball of the innings, taking the Indian total to 180.

KL Rahul who made a good return to the Indian team with an innings of 61, said about Dhoni, “I think he is in great shape, he almost killed me as soon as he came into bat. I don’t know what form you are talking about but every time I switch on the TV or every time I have played with him, he always seems to get the runs. The last time we were here in Cuttack, he got a massive hundred against England and he has been contributing really well in every game.

MS Dhoni scored 39* and had four dismissals in the match

He is somebody we all look up to, he is somebody who is a match-winner and he will always be one,” he said.

KL Rahul also credited the contribution of middle and lower middle order towards India’s wins.

It’s not a bad thing that the top three is scoring runs for any team but yes I think in the last three or four series, the middle order and the lower order have also contributed a lot and that’s why I think we have been successful and winning so consistently,” he said.

For a middle-order batsman, when he walks in, it’s not the easiest, you need to get on with the game as soon as you can. You need to maintain a certain strike rate so it can’t be easy but that’s how the sport is, it’s not easy for anybody batting anywhere,” Rahul continued.

Speaking on his innings of 61, Rahul said, “Every innings is important and with the kind of competition that is in the team, whatever opportunities you get, you need to go out there and make it count, try to do your best and that’s what I did. I tried to keep things simple and I’m very glad that it came off today.

 

 

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 21 Dec, 2017

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